Life of a Hunter: The School For Monsters
by Crowscythe
Summary: Its a Rosario Vampire fanfic with a few alterations including an original character that I have conceptualized just for this universe.You may expect some swearing, sexual suggestions, and intense action sequences. All rights for Rosario Vampire belong to Akihisa Ikeda as well as Gonzo, Madman Entertainment, Funimation, and MVM Films.
1. Introduction

This is just a story I decided to do in my spare time. I'm a bit new to this site, so let me know if I had violated any rules that I overlooked. Also feel free to tell me what you think of it. I would appreciate any constructive criticism as well.

Enjoy

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Introduction

Well, you must be some crafty son of a bitch if you managed to get your hands on this journal, or I forgot to lock the door again…Regardless, to anyone that might be reading these pages, depending on your circumstances, fortune is smiling down on you or the universe wants you dead. Either way, you're the one holding this book, not me. So if you are still reading this, then I wish you luck, pal. Of course, I wish I could say that with honest sincerity, because once you learn these secrets…you're gonna need more than that.

First off, let me just explain a few things to you, and try to keep up. Remember when you were just a snot-nosed pipsqueak causing trouble for your mom and dad, and every night when you went to sleep in your wittle PJs, tucked in under your sheets, but stayed awake just a little longer than you should've? It wasn't because you were still hyped up on a sugar rush after scarfing down all those cookies when you were told NOT to. No. You were staying awake because you thought there was a monster under your bed, or watching you from your closet. Well, surprise! Chances are, there probably was. Goblins to be exact, they like the smell of dirty socks for some reason. Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

This world we live in, society-Human Society-likes to convince us that we are the supreme beings of this planet, that the only monsters that exist are the ones we put on a big screen as we stuff our faces with popcorn and bladder-busting soda drinks by the gallon. Well, to add to the list of bullshit the government has dumped on you, they were wrong about that too. See, Earth is home to a whole bunch of sentient races, there are THOUSANDS of them. Our ancestors labeled most of them as monsters, yokai, demons, and so forth. So why are we not aware of them today, because were idiots with the memory span of trout. But I must sound like some kind of crazy conspiracy theorist.

So I'll start by explaining who I am.

My name is Michael Crane, and, before you start wondering it, YES, Crane as in Ichabod Crane. However, not the one Washington Irving's portrays. I'm talking about Colonel Ichabod Crane. Yeah, the guy was actually real, and guess what?

While the stories didn't get my great great great Grandpa's character quite right, they certainly got the Horseman down…well, he didn't have any flaming pumpkin, but other than that…

Ichabod did in fact encounter the Headless Horseman, but the situation was a little different, the Horseman didn't chase Ichabod, Ichabod chased HIM. But I guess that wouldn't make much for a compelling ghost story. But that's how it was. My family comes from a long line of hunters. Not the kind that go after 3 year old steers or gullible pheasant. No.

Most family businesses were something you could easily believe, like, mechanics, chefs, owning a factory, or something stupid like golf. But my family is in the business of hunting monsters.

Ichabod was one of many that professionalized in pursuing nightmarish beasties that once terrorized the land. However, things are a little different now in the twenty first century. Things have become more sophisticated, more reformed in a way. Now of days most monsters have become much like humans, in fact, a lot of them have clever disguises to fool ignorant chumps like you and me. Most of them are just trying to get by, not cause any trouble, but then…like humans they have their fair share of criminals, lots of them. That's where people like me come in. So I guess you could call me a bounty hunter, but of mystical persuasion. Kind of like a cowboy John Constantine or a supernatural Jango Fett. I've been around a lot, and seen some stuff you would not believe, and what I have in this journal talks about one of many adventures I have had, and this, let me tell you right now before I continue, and if you're a lady yourself, I mean this with the utmost sincerity, women-are-CRAZY.


	2. Chapter 1: A Pink Haired Vampire?

This happened just a few years after I decided to take on the old family traditions. At this point I was pretty comfortable with this new world I put myself in, things that went bump in the night had become the norm and daily routine of my life. And I was definitely no stranger to the ways of the mystics and paranormal, not much really surprised me anymore. That was, of course, how I felt before I discovered Yokai Academy.

It started out as any simple job would for me. I just got my hands on a nice wanted poster that said the client was willing to give five grand for the death or capture of a guy named…Katsuo Hiroko…Yeah that sounds about right. Needless to say, this implied that I had to travel all the way to Japan. According to the Client; this guy had made quite the ruckus in Europe, something having to do with destruction of private property sprinkled on top with oodles of peace disturbance charges and sexual harassment, you know, the usual scumbag.

Now he had fled back to his home country and has been on the down low. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Mr. Hiroko, seeing as how there was no description of what kind of monster he was, he could've been a skunk ape for all I knew. I didn't even have a human profile to run on, just a name and some criminal history.

So, I had to gear up for this assignment. At this point in my "career" if you will, I had collected quite a bit of helpful tools for almost any situation. What I had on hand were a couple of blessed metals to ward off evil spirits, rock salt for demons, a silver dagger and silver powder for werewolves, Holy water vials for vampires, a sack of hex's to counter curses or spells, enchanted gloves to even the odds against the big beasts, and, the one thing I ALWAYS have with me, my Lupara custom sawed-off shotgun, this bad boy has saved my ass on more occasions than I could count. It was a family heirloom of sorts, though I have no idea whom the original owner was and I still don't fully understand how it works, but even though it had been spending god knows how many years in my Father's basement collecting dust, it has proven to be my best friend when it comes to combat. Like I said, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding this gun, I only know two things about it; that its apparently named _Tonitrum_-learned later that was Latin for the word "Thunder"- and that it packs one hell of a punch. Powerful enough to even hurt S-class monsters; I'll explain what that means later.

Back to the story at hand.

Now I won't divulge how I managed to travel all the way to Japan with out a plane ticket, but once I managed to get there, I didn't have time to site see. At first it seemed like I was getting no where, it seemed every creature that could verbally speak didn't seem to know where my meal ticket was. Then, I noticed this…guy. He wasn't the guy I was looking for, but something told me I needed to keep an eye on him. I first spotted him at a down town bar joint in Osaka. He seemed…I guess for lack of a better word, creepy. He was definitely some kind of monster, the pale skin and white, pupil-less eyes were a dead give away, but no one else didn't seem to care, regardless I knew there was something about him other than his eerie appearance.

The way he dressed suggested that he was a public bus driver, though Ive never heard of a bus driver stopping at a local bar while still in uniform.

I watched him discretely from a corner of the room, fiddling with my smartphone; pretending I was occupied. The dude had just finished his cigar, tipped the bartender, and made his way for the door. I then followed, but at a distance.

A part of me just wanted to ask him up front, just I had been, but something told me this guy wasn't willing to spill anything for a human like me. So I kept my casual pace as I continued to follow him down the side walk until he made it to his bus. This was gonna be the hard part, seeing as how I was unable to take my car with me when I came to this country. To top it off, it was starting to rain too. Fortunately I had my wide brim hat to keep my head dry.

The best thing I could do now was take a chance. Using my best acting skills, I ran up to the driver just before he started the engine and said to him with some urgency to make it seem more convincing, "Uh, E-Excuse me?" I tried to say in Japanese, truth be told I'm rusty when it comes to other languages, besides Latin, but in this case I wanted to look like some lost tourist. So this inconvenience was useful to me in this situation.

The bus driver slowly glanced at him, "I'm sorry, friend..." he said in a deep and dry tone, "But I'm heading back to the station." His English seemed rather fluent, for a liar, in fact it seemed too good for a bus driver, human or not…

Another thing that I should mention about this guy is the fact that he was constantly smiling. The moment I saw him he had this permanent haunting grin on his face as if it was just plastered on. It didn't sit well with me. I had the sinking suspicion that he definitely knew more than he was letting on.

But I remained in character as I pleaded in English, "Come on man, I need to get back to my hotel, and there aren't any taxis around here. I'll pay you double if you want?"

The driver's grin seemed to stretch even wider, but I doubt it was because I promised money. He turned his head back to the windshield and replied with an eerie chuckle, "Heh heh…Step on board, sir. I'll help you out."

There was a high chance I could be walking into a trap, if that were the case, at least I'd be prepared…I smiled and expressed my gratitude. Once I stepped in, I planned to actually keep my word, to keep up the act of course. However, he told me to not bother with the change. So after I found somewhere to sit, I told him my address, the bus's engine roared to life, and we were on the road.

During the trip I kept a close eye on him, expecting anything from this guy. The rain was getting heavier by the minute as it pounded against the glass windows and metal roof; the clattering was the only noise that was breaking the silence between me and the driver. I tried my best to look casual while still keeping my eye on him. Occasionally, I would glance at the watery windows, though the view was obscured by the downpour I could tell that night was approaching. I was hoping that he was taking me somewhere isolated, that way I could've conducted my questioning with out any disturbances. But, things turned out differently than I had expected. Eventually, the bus entered a dark tunnel, and when I mean dark, I mean there wasn't a single spark of light when there should've been, complete ominous blackness. But just as the bus was swallowed into the void, I was now in a land that was clearly NOT Japan.

The whole scenery was something straight out of the pages of an old horror novel. Not only that, but the rain had suddenly ceased. The bus had stopped near a cliff side; the sky was void of clouds, letting an unnatural scarlet moon to shine down its red luminosity over a sparkling crimson sea. Meanwhile, on my other side, there was a whole dark forest, as far as the eye could see. Dead trees with branches that were long and gangly, as though they were ghoulish hands.

The bus driver then opened the doorway with a rusty pull of the control handle. With out a single glance back at me, he said with that creepy smile, "Here's your stop, friend."

Without hesitation, I pulled out Tonitrum and pointed it directly at the back of his head. "Sure as hell doesn't look like it to me, _friend_." I retorted.

The bus driver didn't make a single flinch, but something told me that he wasn't intimidated in the least. He then replied as he continued to stare out the windshield, "You're looking for someone, aren't you?" his suggestive tone convinced me completely that he indeed knew what I was and what I was doing here.

"So you do know something then. If that's so, then spill it!" But it seemed my demand had fallen on deaf ears, of course.

The driver snapped his fingers and after that…he was gone. Not just him, the whole damn bus just vanished like some Chris Angel magic trick. I found myself standing in the middle of nowhere pointing my gun at the pumpkin head of a lifeless scarecrow…"Goddammit!" I cursed, and then put my shotgun back into my holster on the back of my waist. At this point I was kicking myself for hopping onto white-eye's magic school bus. It was clearly obvious that I was no longer in Japan, I was pretty sure I wasn't even on Earth. I even tried checking my phone for any satellite signal.

Nope. Zero bars.

So at this point I had only one conclusion…

You've heard about the theory of multiple dimensions; different worlds that could be parallel to our own? Well, for centuries, monsters have been using artificial ones through the use of a mystical property called "Mana." It's like this magic energy that can do almost anything, with enough of this stuff, one can bend the laws of reality to their will, in this case; creating a fake world. Hell, half of everything I own is powered by some form of Mana, even Tonitrum.

So yes Magic-the-gathering-nerds; your card game actually holds some truth to it.

However, not everybody can pull off this kind of level of magic. I'm talking D&D level sorcerers here. And I suspected that I was standing smack dab in the middle of one. I'll admit though this was the first time I had ever been in one, but I have heard about these kinds of places before hand. Though I never figured they would be this vast looking, but illusions often had that kind of affect.

Which is annoying.

However, there was also something else about this place…aside from the unnatural scenery; there was this unsettling chill in the air, like I was knee deep in enemy territory. My gut instinct was telling me to go find cover; find a more fordable position. Fortunately I had just the thing for this kind of situation, as I usually did at this point in my abnormal life. But I'll mention that later.

When I finally found a solid means of shelter I decided to wait it through the night before setting out again to try and find some kind of exit. To my surprise, this dimension had its own daily cycle. That's pretty damn impressive for an artificial realm. Whoever was running this place had some serious mojo.

So when day came, the scarlet moon was gone and in its place was…actually, I don't recall ever seeing a sun in this place, I mean there was clearly day light, but not like Summer-shine-bright-happy-day-light. No, this was the kind of morning radiance that you would get if you lived in Seattle, or Astoria; somewhere up north where it was always cloudy like it could rain at any moment.

So I guess to add it up in one word; dull.

The dead forest that I was wandering aimless through was about as dreary in the day as it was at night, and the endless litter of nameless, shambled gravestones didn't help brighten the mood either.

Yeah, forgot to mention this place had countless gravestones, not actual graves, just gravestones, tombstones, some big, some small, some shaped lick crosses, etc. It was like whoever design this place was trying WAY too hard to be blatantly ominous. I can understand that to most people, graves can be unnerving, but after passing the thirtieth stone, you kinda just become ignorant of them.

I wasn't so sure what time it was or how long I had been walking, I wanted to say only an hour or two, but I had no idea how time worked in an artificial dimension. For all I knew, if I did manage to get back, it could be the year 2050.

But that was the least of my worries; I was more concerned about why the hell I was in this place to begin with.

What could that smiling bastard gain from trapping me here?

Was it even a trap?

There was something he said that had me stumped. "_You're looking for someone, right?_" Could it be that this was his way of helping me?

Though I didn't see how trapping me in a page of Dante's Inferno was categorized as help. Then again this seemed way to elaborate to protect Katsuo from me, if that was his intention. He could've just killed me and be done with it. I figured that there had to have been some deep meaning behind this whole thing, but the more I pondered, the more I was less attentive to my surroundings…

And that's when I heard her.

"LOOK OUT!" a young, feminine voice cried out frantically.

With sharp reaction time, I turned and noticed someone on a bike was coming right at me. I just barely managed to jump out of the way and as the bicyclist passed, it was a girl, wearing some kind of school uniform, and a fancy looking choker with a chain linked Rosario.

Kinky.

Some her other noticeable features were her vibrant emerald eyes and her long flowing…pink hair.

The chick zoomed right past me at an uncontrollable speed and crashed right into the side of a tree trunk. I instantly rushed over to see if she was okay but, exterior wise; there wasn't a single scratch on her.

While she recovered, I took a quick glance at her body again-not like that you idiots-I was trying to spot any kind of abnormalities. She seemed pretty human, but then again, they often did. I wasn't so sure what to make of her long, glimmering, strawberry pink lochs though.

Was she some kind of Katy Perry fan?

Right, wrong country, maybe she was a cosplayer.

Whoever she was, I wouldn't trust her behind the wheel of my car, 'course this was just my first impression of her.

When I asked her if she was alright, she merely rubbed her head for a moment, patted her skirt of any dirt or dust, and told me she was fine.

Also, I had just realized something at this point; I could understand her.

"Sorry for almost hitting you, my bike's breaks just stopped working all of a sudden." Her voice was genuine and sincere, almost to the point where it was nauseating, but I was still perplexed at the fact that I could understand her, perfectly in fact. I could tell she was Japanese, she had a face and a personality that just screamed kawaii. So how was I able to comprehend her?

I could only guess it had something to do with this dimension, perhaps it had altered our perceptions to better translate each others words. But then I decided to not think about it too hard and continued the conversation.

"Don't worry about it." I replied nonchalantly, then I was about to ask her how she got here, but she beat me to the punch as she made her introductions.

"Oh! I shouldn't forget my manners. My name is Moka Akashiya, first year student." She then bowed politely.

Out of impulse, I introduced myself back, "My name is Mi-wait a minute…" I stopped myself when I just realized what she said, "Did you say you're a first year?"

Granted that seemed like an obvious question seeing as how she is wearing a school uniform, but why mention that while in the middle of this god forsaken place? Why was she being so formal when most people would flip the hell out in this situation?

She then looked at me, confused by my question, "Yes. I'm a freshman at Yokai academy."

"Yo-what academy?"

She giggled, "Yo-KAI academy, silly. You know, the school for monsters, and this is my first day!"

Good God, I thought, this girl was more bubbly than a bath tub.

But that wasn't my major concern, the real realization that I was having was the fact that I hadn't been wandering aimlessly through a demonic woods, I was wandering aimlessly on the private property of a school! Not only a school but a school for monsters!

The first thought I had was thinking about just how SCREWED I was.

"By the way, I don't want to be rude…but are you lost?" she asked sincerely, which was kind of ironic, seeing as how that was going to be my question a moment ago. But I had a bigger issue now.

Right now, I knew completely that I was talking to a monster, didn't know what kind she was at moment. Perhaps she was something like a Gorgan or a Manticore, something that could turn my intestines into her own personal scarf.

See, incase I wasn't clear before, while humans aren't aware of monsters anymore, most of the monster population hates us with the burning passion of a thousand suns. Some even fear us, but only some.

It's understandable though, I mean, back in the old days we hunted them like they were game. Sure those few remaining hunters among us have our own informants, networks, and associates that consists of monsters, but that's such a tiny number, barely in the triple digits. And its not like those guys are much enthusiasts either, if someone pays them, they'll rat us out with out a second thought. So I had to play this very carefully, or I could be facing the thunder-dome death brawl of my life.

"Excuse me, but you look like you're sweating a little. Are you alright?" the pink-top snapped me out of my thought processing. She seemed genuinely concerned for my well being, but that could turn a 180 if she found out what I am.

I cleared my throat and told her I was fine before answering her initial question, "Uhm, I'm not lost, per say. Just-"

"Oh! That's a relief!" she sighed, "I'm embarrassed to say, but I thought you were a human for a second!"

I forced a laugh, "You think I was a human? What gave it awa-I mean gave you that conclusion?"

I was still working on my tact at that age.

"Well…" her cheeks started to turn a shade of red, "like I said, I'm embarrassed to say…but your scent…it smells really good."

Oh shit…

"Oh! Do I then?" I did not like where this was going.

She took a step closer, "Yeah…your blood…I can smell it in your veins…" she started to look hazy, like a starving animal staring at juicy steak, "It smells…almost like a human's…"

As she inched closer and closer to me, the more I franticly tried to figure a way out of this situation without revealing myself to her. Suddenly, I noticed something as she made her approach, when her mouth opened to speak; I noticed the tip of a sharp fang.

Vampire.

This was good; I would be able to use one of my holy water vials on her to momentarily stun her.

As she stretched out her jaws, I reached for my pocket, where a vial was at the tip of my fingers. Then she said, ready to lunge, "I'm sorry, but…I'm a Vampi-"

Suddenly, the distant sound of heavy ringing echoed through the withered trees, halting Moka. Instantly panicking, she ran back to her bike screaming, "I'm gonna be late!"

Then she picked it up, and started booking, but not before stopping and looking back at me to say, "Sorry for that, I hope I meet you again…what was your name aga-" the school bell rung again thunderously, she squealed once more, "Ahhh! I gotta go!"

And like that, she was already yards away.

I took in a deep breath and let out a sigh of astounding relief. I was literally saved by the bell.

I was about to turn back and head back to my shelter, but then I heard that bus driver's voice in my head, "_You're looking for someone, right?_" I kept remembering those words like a looping echo. Maybe this school is where Katsuo is hiding, not a bad place actually. With some fabricated papers work, he could assume the cover of one of the school's staff…but if that were the case, that would mean I would have to go in there. I'd have to infiltrate an academy of monsters that wouldn't hesitate to make a snack out of me.

Hell, I had my veins at the mercy of a vampire just a moment ago.

This was going be beyond risky; needle in a haystack doesn't even come close. This is more like trying to find a shark in a pool of sharks.

I decided to just plan it as I go, and followed the vampire to her school. I could only hope that my intuition was right. And maybe, just maybe, I could find a way out of this place with my head still intact as well as the bounty.


	3. Chapter 2: Multiple Personalities

I made sure that I would keep myself at a distance as I followed the vampire, she was no werewolf but her kind had sharp noses too. Not to mention she seemed a bit naïve about me, I doubt she suspected anything. Eventually, after tailing her, she led me to the site of a rather impressive structure before me.

It was surprisingly not what I had expected. I thought this school would be like a giant castle, or look something similar to a haunted manor. But it actually looked pretty normal in comparison. It definitely captured the depiction of a fancy, high-paid Academy and everything that would encompass as such; a huge track field, a swimming pool, private dorms, etc. Pretty much almost everything my highschool did NOT have. If that were the case, I could expect some advanced security. I then broke off pursuit of Moka and began my survey of the surrounding perimeter.

I knew that this would be the best time to do it, because of what Moka mentioned before. She said that this was her first day, and that she was a freshman. I could've been wrong, but today may have been the beginning of the school year, which meant most of the students would be gathered at the gymnasium for orientation. That's how my school did it at least.

Regardless, better now than later.

It was a long circle to walk around, but ironically enough, the gravestones and trees provided excellent cover for me. When I had finally finished my inspection of the security layout I had noticed a few strange things. One in particular was that I could not find a single damn camera.

The whole place was clean.

What the hell?

I mean, don't get me wrong, that would be good news for me, if the circumstances were different. I came to the only other conclusion that this place did not use conventional or material means of monitoring, but instead through mystical means.

So the first thought that came to mind was, "Great! For all I know, I'm being watched right now through some magic scepter or crystal ball!"

I had to retreat back to my haven to find a more efficient means to better conceal myself. Maybe since I haven't made much of a ruckus yet, I haven't been noticed.

There was a lot of wishful thinking going through my head during that situation.

A few hours had passed during this transition, but once I was back at the school grounds I was more prepared now. I will mention now that it involved a quick little recipe that I picked up on when I started learning about how to counter curses and spells. It's sort of like a supernatural deodorant that can mask your own mana-stink. It also helped mask my natural scent as well, so there's a bonus.

And yes, everybody has Mana inside them, even humans.

How do you think wizards and witches came to be?

But, like I said, magic isn't for everybody. Some have barely any.

How much do I have?

I don't know, definitely not enough to make my own dimension.

Anyways, hopefully what I used would work and I can continue my search. And just when I thought things couldn't get any more complicated, I discover Moka again. Fortunately she didn't see me yet, but this wasn't the problem. When I made my return to the grounds under the cover of the trees and tombstones, I saw her walking along the trail leading to her dorms. School hours must've been over for the day.

Good. Fewer eyes.

However…she wasn't the only one. Apparently some guy was following her, clearly trying to put the moves on her, and doing poorly. He was a student, like Moka, wearing a similar sea-green uniform. He was much taller than her, like by a couple of feet, and I swear he looked like a young Bradley Cooper with chocolate brown lochs.

"Come on, sweet heart!" he said, the deuce-ness seeping from his words, "Why you've been avoiding me? I mean the whole playing-hard-to-get is cute! I like it! But lets be serious about th-"

"I am being serious." Moke retorts, trying to avoid eye contact with him as she continued to walk toward the dorm. She tried to sound stern, holding her school bag in both hands in front of her, but she looked a bit perturbed.

I'd be too if I had flirt-o-saurus breathing down my neck.

"What are you saying? You saying you don't like me or something?" he continued the same tone. This guy was just not getting the hint.

Moka then stopped, her grip tightening on the straps of her bag. She then turned around and said, "Saizou, I get that you were trying to give me some company today…but…I don't like how you treat me. You make me feel uncomfortable when you keep forcing yourself on me…!"

Part of me wanted to applaud her for telling the chump to piss off, she may have looked timid, but she had guts. However, Saizou didn't seem to think the same way.

He stared at her in silence. But then his face stretched out into an unnatural dark smile as he replied, "Well then…lets change that then!" suddenly his whole body began to change. He became larger, firmer, and broader as most of his clothing was completely shredded.

Thank god he didn't tear his pants included.

Large spikes protruded from his shoulders. His muscles swelled and bulked. His jaws expanded and his teeth sharpened as a long tongue slunk out from his maw. His hands became deadly claws, and parts of his skeletal structure surfaced and hardened.

An orc, typical.

I was getting the vibe that a big monster showdown was going to occur. So I was going to make the wise decision of distancing myself from them before I get caught in the cross fire.

But just before I did, I couldn't help but notice that something was off…Moka was frightened.

Before you call me out as an idiot, let me remind you that Moka is a VAMPIRE. They're some of the toughest monsters on the planet.

And what's an orc? While to compare these two to each other, is to compare a tiger to a T-Rex, Moka being the T-Rex. She could easily turn that hulking bastard into a pretzel! And yet…there she was, trembling with fear, at the mercy of a low level beast. What was wrong with her!?

Saizou came at her with no hesitation, and then knocked her to the side with his meaty arm, bashing her back against a tree. The impact left her severely disoriented and she struggled to get back up on her feet.

"Come on…!" I grunted through my clenched teeth in an undertone. Why was she letting this asshole beat down on her? Was she a pacifist or something?

I glanced around the area to see if there were any teachers, or even other students, within the proximity that could stop the situation…none.

Of course.

The only reason why I hadn't booked yet was because of one simple reason. Most hunters call it a weakness; it gets in the way of the job, could cost you the bounty, or even your life.

I still had a conscious.

I started to remember Moka's sincerity and all around well mannered nature and decency. She may have been a vampire, but she seemed friendly enough, even if she had almost beaten my jugular. Hell I didn't know what I was feeling entirely at that moment; sympathy, pity, a sense of honor or justice. All I could think of was that if I choose to run now, I was going to have another ghost haunt me.

…Dammit.

Wasting no more time, I made my decision and decided to do something REALLY stupid. I planted my left tattered boot firmly on top of the grave stone I was hiding behind. The stamp of the black rubber against the rock surface of the stone halted Saizou's advance on Moka.

Then, to get his full attention, I said in a casual demeanor, "Uh-Hey! Azog the defiler! You looking for a party of dwarves, a half pint, and an old dude with a pointy hat and a stick?"

He didn't seem to get the reference, but it certainly got his attention. He made a grizzly sneer in my direction and then turned around to approach me. Every step he took pounded the ground.

From where I was standing, I was just barely on top of a very small hill, could barely call it a mound, so I was almost at eye level with this 8-maybe 9- foot tall orc. This would be considered…I believe the fourth orc I've faced. First one: damn near killed me, second one: bashed his nose in, third one: Well…

Point is that I have experience dealing with these guys. They may seem big and nasty. But once you know their weaknesses, they're about as tough as a buck with its head stuck in a fence.

When Saizou stood before me, he was inches away from my face. His body casted a dark shadow over me like a looming tower. As he glared down at me with terrible yellow eyes, he growled deeply, and ferociously, "You lost pal…?" his breath lingered out of his mouth like a plume of toxic vapor. It stank with the foul stench of rotten meat and god knows what else orcs eat.

I coughed for a moment as I waved my hand in front of me to brush away the odor. "Mmm, yes…" I coughed again, "Like a patch of daisies…"

He caught on to my sarcasm that time and raised his tone a little higher as he clenched his meat hooks, "Maybe you should leave before I make a meal out of you."

I looked up at him, unimpressed by his threats. His breathing was more menacing then any amount of words he could make. And the slobber dripping from his dangling tongue wasn't helping either. I sighed briefly, then lifted my finger up at him and said, "Hold on a moment…" he seemed a little confused by the request, but before he could object, I then quickly tilted my head over to the side to get a look around him to see Moka, she was just now getting back up.

The vampire looked a little roughed up, but other than that, she seemed alright. She noticed me and her eyes widened, I guess she remembered me.

"Hey, ugh, this might sound like a dumb question but…" before finishing the question, I used my right hand for her to see and pointed at Saizou as I inaudibly mouthed the final word of my inquiry, "boyfriend…?"

Moka was able to read my lips, and interpret my question. Without hesitation, she shook her head urgently to say no.

"Groovy."

I then tilted back up to Saizou and without warning gave him a solid punch to the jaw. Biting right on his elongated tongue upon impact as sudden burst of blue visible mana dispersed in his face, and knocked him flat on his back a couple of feet away with a loud thud against the ground.

The fight wasn't over yet though. Not by a long shot. A magic punch in the face, though satisfying, is not gonna take down an orc of this size.

Saizou quickly got back up, readjusting his jaw for a moment until it snapped back into place. After spitting out a dribble of blood, he looked at me with a burning desire to crush my skull like you wouldn't believe. He didn't bother to ask what I just hit him with, or the fact he couldn't smell me. Killing me was all that mattered.

He charged right at me like a freight train. As he raised his fists up in the air, ready to slam both down on me like furious hammers, I jumped back at the last minute, watching the grave stone get reduced to rubble.

"Hey pal, just because I knocked you on your ass in front of a lady doesn't mean you gotta take it out on the slab of rock." I remarked with a minor taunt.

He then tried to come at me again, throwing down his right fist. I easily side stepped to the right as it smashed into the ground just inches from me.

"I don't think the ground appreciates that either."

Saizou snarled in frustration as he threw down his left fist. Easily evaded that one too.

"Its okay, so you got self-esteem issues. Nothing a hug from your mama cant help."

"SHUT UP!" He slams another punch down, then another, then another. Furiously he tried to crush me, smash me, swing back-hands at me, and slash at me with his claws. Dust and dirt flew every where in puffs of clouds as the ground left in Saizou's wake was decimated by his relentless assault.

But the reason why I kept dodging all of his moves so easily was because of how slow he was getting. See, orcs carry a lot of power in their strikes, but they have no technique, no control. But how to really gain the advantage on them is to piss them off.

Orcs thrive on intimidations; it's where they get their confidence from. I learned this the hard way the first time I met one. All I had to do was remain composed, casual, and nonchalant. It's the same way you deal with bullies in elementary school really. So all those taunts and lame quips I was giving him were not just for comic relief, it's to make him frustrated. The angrier, the sloppier he got, the more sluggish, the more exposed he was.

Orcs have a tough hide, but if you want to bring an orc down, go straight for the knees.

When Saizou raised his right fist up for another strike, I saw my opening and went for it. I dashed forward, just barely getting crushed and with one swift punch, after a brief mana dispersal, I smashed his left knee out, making a painful crack.

Saizou howled in agony and stumbled to the side that gave out. In a few aching grunts, he looked at me and pleaded, "A-Alright…I'll leave the girl alone…you win man…!"

I narrowed my eyes at him and said, "Katsuo Hirioko…?" He looked at me, perplexed by my question.

"Name registers at all?" I asked again.

"W-What are you talking about?" He replied.

It was worth a shot, but I figured as much he wouldn't know who I was referring to. He was being such a jackass before, thought it would be safe to ask if he was in any involvement with Katsuo.

No dice.

Just a regular deuce.

I could tell he wasn't lying. Orcs don't have the brain cells to be deceptive….no offense if you're an orc reading this.

"Eh, never mind then…" I said with a shrug.

I then raised my fist, ready to give him a right hook knock-out. But then, in the most inconvenient time, Moka screamed out, "NOOO! DON'T DO IT!"

I guess she followed the fight and was watching…

Making a big mistake, I took my eyes off the orc to notice Moka screaming to me, then found myself in Saizou's crushing grip and then flying towards Moka where I crashed into her, knocking us both to the ground.

Moka slowly sat up as she whimpered, "Ow…"

I got back up just as fast and shouted at her, "Why did you do that!?"

"You were going to kill him!" she snapped back.

"Ki-I was going to knock him out, idiot!"

"Don't call me an idiot you jerk!"

But our spat was cut short when we saw Saizou standing over us, or rather, trying to. I guess I made him a little too pissed; there is a point where an orc can get so burning furious that certain pain sensors in his brain just shuts down.

A fact that I unfortunately overlooked.

However, it was clear he was still struggling to maintain some form of balance. But that didn't stop him as he reached down towards us with his massive claws with the intent to squeeze us till we popped.

"I'll crush you BOTH!" he growled as he wrapped his powerful claws around me and Moka.

Just as Saizou said he would, I could already feel the air instantly leave my lungs as he slowly tightened his grip around my rib cage. Only my left hand was free, and before I got snatched I tried to push Moka away in a failed attempt to spare her the Orc treatment, but instead got a hold of her Rosario dangling from her choker. The moment I was pulled away from her, the Rosario broke off with a sharp metallic snap. And in that momentary instant, the depth of silence was so deep you could hear a thumb tack hit the ground.

Then a powerful surge of mana, like nothing I've witnessed before, erupted. Before my eyes, I saw Moka in an explosion of aura that was vibrant and potent. The boom of energy was so violent that it instantly broke Saizou's grip on both her and me, dropping us both as he was knocked multiple feet away.

I fell right on top of my sawed-off, which didn't help my lower back at all as a cushion.

But Moka landed perfectly on her feet like she was part-cat. That's when I realized, I wasn't looking at the timid, bubbly, pink haired vampire I met earlier that day. She was…different. Not too much, but just enough to indicate that her appearance was clearly altered.

Instead of a bright strawberry pink, her hair was white and gleamed like silver. Her eyes had also changed from a humble emerald tint to a fearsome crimson red; her pupils were narrow and sharp, like a feline or reptile. Even portions of her body were altered to look more…mature.

It was…an unusual transformation, granted Ive only met one other vampire, and he looked like Nosferatu after a bad trip with meth.

But in Moka's case, it was like she was photoshoped, and it seemed that her personality had also changed, dramatically.

With the composure of a rock, Moka glanced at the Orc that just recovered from his fall, his busted knee starting to take its toll on him despite his beserker rage helping him ignore the pain.

She had this gaze that could only be described as fierce; she made a lion look like a kitten with the way those glaring red eyes were beaming down on Saizou. The Orc was clearly surprised at what he was looking at. He had completely forgotten about me. I didn't really blame him, Moka was giving off a level of mana that was so high, it was like she was about to go Super Sayian on his ass.

A part of me wants to add an "over 9000" pun to that last statement, buts that's been over done.

Saizou stared at the silver-haired girl with astonishment as he pointed at her and deduced, "Y-Yer a…Vampire!?"

"And you're persistent." She retorted with a devilish smirk.

Jesus, even her VOICE was different.

It was like she wasn't even Pink-hair, but instead the older, more dominant sister that lives the life of a biker chick. Give her a leather jacket, some ripped jeans, and a Harley, and you have the perfect picture of a lady Hell's Angel.

Anyways, Saizou, though was nervous, still wasn't willing to back down. Using both his arms and his good leg, he lunges himself at Moka and slams a right hook at Moka's head. But, without even budging, she blocked the attack dead in its tracks. That kind of punch would've reduced me to ground beef. Her on the other hand, it was like it didn't even tickle her. I wasn't even sure she was blocking it, from where I was watching, it looked like she didn't even bother to make the effort.

"Attacking me with this level of power, and after fighting a small fry," She said with apathetic demeanor. "You had better realize your place!" and without hesitation, she leaps up and delivers a powerful side kick that slammed into Saizou's face so hard, all 500 pounds of orc muscle went spinning in the air then violently crashing into a cluster of gravestones a couple yards away. He was knocked out cold with a mouth full of blood, and half a set of teeth missing.

The battle was clearly won. But I wasn't about to compliment her on a job well done. She had some explaining to do.

"So, small-fry, huh?" I said, walking up behind her, after I had gotten up and readjusted my hat, "That's the thanks I get for saving you?" a part of me was telling me to turn tail and run, but I was a bit pissed myself. It took me careful timing, and steady tactics to just get that orc down on one knee. I could've used Tonitrum to take him down-if I wanted the whole school to hear me. But she managed to send him flying with a single kick. Were her legs made of the same density as a wrecking ball?

Moka then turned around and looked at me with a confident smirk with her left hand on her hip as she replied, "Well you ARE smaller than him."

"Don't get cute with me, Legs. What the hell was that all about?"

"And what exactly do you mean?"

"Acting all scared and helpless when you could've just super-kicked him into next week then instead of now! I've blown my cover because of yo-"

I instantly slapped my palm against my forehead as I just realized I said too much.

Dammit, Mouth!

After I cursed, Moka's grin stretched just a little more. "So, you aren't a student, or part of the staff, are you?"

Apparently this Moka was more perceptive.

I didn't respond, but my silence was good enough to confirm her accusation.

"I thought so." She stated, maintaining her audacious leer, "In fact…" She took a step closer to me as she laid her piercing gaze on me, "I think its safe to assume that you're a human as well. Though I can't say that based off of your scent, seeing as its clearly masked, but I doubt a fellow monster would cover their scent in a place that's considered a monster safe-zone…How warm am I?"

I felt a lump in my throat; she was deducing this pretty well for a freshman in high school.

Her gaze sharpened, like a predator watching her prey, "Ive never thought Id meet a Hunter here at Yokai academy…I wonder what you're after."

I was expecting the worst; I thought I would have to fight her now. The holy water in my jeans pocket might help out. However, after seeing what she can do, I'm convinced I may be dealing with a pure blood. You know, like Dracula, Van Helsing's kind of vampires. Blood suckers like her are considered way stronger than a typical vampire you'd see prowling the streets at night.

Though as anxious as I was feeling, I kept a firm front. If I showed a hint of fear, I would just be encouraging her.

But apparently that wasn't the case, this time. Instead, she said, "Well, if you were anything like the stories say, you would've killed my weaker self the first time we met. You're an interesting one."

I was then at ease. I may have been relaxing too soon, but I was getting the impression that she wasn't going to try and drain me dry, yet.

So I decided to reply and said, "You know you still haven't answered my question. Why did you decide to transform now?"

She smirked again as she removed her hand from her hip, and then crossed her arms over her chest as she straightened her posture, "You saw me didn't you, how easy it was for me to defeat that rogue?"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, you beat up an already half-beaten orc. Gongrats."

Her simpering expression disappeared as her crimson eyes narrowed at me, "Don't think you can have an attitude with me because I decided to spare you, human."

I sighed, "Fine. But would you make your point."

She seemed a tad annoyed now, but she obliged and said, "That rosario you removed from my choker…" She pointed at the metal cross that was still in my hand. I had forgotten I was still holding on to it until she mentioned it.

When I first saw it after meeting Moka I didn't think much of it. However, when I had it in my palm, I realized that it was definitely more than what it seemed, definitely had some kind of mystical property, it was almost as potent as Moka's aura.

Moka then continued to explain, "That is the reason for the way I am."

I looked back at her, "What exactly is that suppose to mean?"

"I've given you my answer." She replied, a little too quickly, "Now return my rosario, if you may." She tried to reach for it, but I pulled my hand away, clenching the metal cross a little firmer as I took a step away from her.

I kept my firm stare on her, but I knew I had to be careful which buttons I could push. However, I wasn't appreciating her vagueness. There was something about this rosario, something she didn't want to tell. If I had to make an educated guess, I think this thing was some kind of seal, or maybe a suppressor. I wouldn't know why she would do that to herself, but looking at her now, almost seeing the mana radiate from her body, Moka had a quantity of energy I hadn't seen anywhere else before. In fact, I think she had too much. That could be a reason. It's the best theory I could come up with at the time so sue if I sound like a moron now. But as much as I wanted to, I knew if I pushed the topic any further I could end up biting more than I could chew.

"One last question…" I told her in a calm tone, but choosing my next words carefully.

"You're testing my patience, human." She glared at me, baring one of her fangs out for me to see. "Don't test the length of my mercy."

"Why do even bother?" I asked promptly, she looked at me with a hint of confusion.

I then clarified my question, "Why ARE you showing me mercy? If you know what I am, why are you taking a chance with me?"

Moka paused for a moment as the anger melted from her face and then returned to the same casual smirk. "As I said before, you spared me when you had the chance. You even had the choice to walk away in my time of need a moment ago, yet you didnt…" her grin faded a bit as she reluctantly added, "I hate to admit this, but I loathe being in someone else's dept. I'd say this makes us even, wouldn't you say?"

After I moment of staring at each other, I was convinced she was being honest. It wasn't uncommon for vampires to be prideful, and I imagine she had to swallow quite a bit of her own to admit that to a_ lowly_ human like me.

With a soft sigh, I conceded and said to her, "Alright, you win." I then lightly chucked the rosario at her, catching it with one hand flawlessly.

She smirked once more and replied, "Naturally…" but before she reattached her metal back onto her choker, she took a step closer to me and added, "Oh, and one more thing…"

I suddenly felt my gut bust as a powerful fist pounded into me. Moka definitely didn't put in as much force as she could have, but just enough to completely knock the wind out of me as I staggered to stay on two feet. With my arms wrapping around my stomach, I looked back up at her as she finished, "THAT'S for calling my other me an idiot. Only I and I only, can address her that way."

I couldn't make a retort because I was too busy trying to keep my last supper from going up north. But my mind was certainly putting a few labels on her, none of them I doubt she would appreciate.

She then reaffixed the rosario back onto her chain, which I am to assume it was through some supernatural means.

How else?

And the moment she did, her appearance had reverted back to her original. Her silver hair faded to hot pink, her crimson demonic eyes switched back to an innocent jade green, and her pulsating aura had now been reduced back to little more than a whisper.

However, it seemed Red-Eyes failed to mention that Pink-Top was going to succumb to fatigue once the switch was made. So before Moka, "Good-Moka," could even get a single word out, she fainted and fell. Fortunately she fell forward and I managed to catch her, despite my sore belly aching from the punch.

When I realized she was completely under, I let out an exasperated sigh. Then cursed in an undertone, "Goddammit…"


	4. Chapter 3: Trustworthy

Just when I thought my predicament was over, I found myself holding a passed out high school girl in my arms. I can say with confidence that I'm a decent guy…for the most part. But if my luck was as bad as it always has been, I'm sure someone would have passed by, saw us, and INSTANTLY assume the worst conclusion.

Something told me that Bad-Moka knew this would happen and now she expects me to take care of it.

So much for that "we're even" thing.

So, I decided to take the only course of action I could do…

By the time Moka had opened her eyes she found herself in what could only be described as a room, but I bet it was nothing like the one she was assigned to at the dorm. Instead of a squared boundary, it was more circular and the interior was made almost entirely out of a gray wooden surface, much like the dead trees surrounding the school campus. Some of the furniture was assimilated into the unnatural décor. There were broad bookshelves, cabinets protruding from the walls, and the floor itself looked like the top of a black stump. Even the foundation of the bed she was lying on was part of the interior, not including the mattress, sheets and pillow. Another thing she noticed was a large leather chest at the far left side of the room. It was old, tattered, and warn down, but it still looked sturdy despite the conditions of its exterior.

The young vampire was still groggy as she slowly lifted her head up. With heavy eyelids she tried to process where exactly she was. The first thing that caught her attention was a warm herbal scent. As her gaze followed the soothing aroma she glances down at a simple white coffee mug, freshly brewed and prepared for her on a small portable table, similar to what you might use while watching TV, standing next to her bedside.

The smell alone managed to reinvigorate her by just a little.

Just then she heard the sound of another mug being gently placed back down on a dark timber desk, which was also rooted to the floor, after a subtle sip.

That's when she saw me. I was sitting down next to a cluttered desk of personal possessions where I had placed my hat upside down, as I scratched my scalp, tousling the flatness out of my dull-auburn hair. From where I was, I was positioned only a few feet from where the bed was. Not too far over to the right of the room. I hadn't noticed Moka was up yet as I removed Tonitrum from my holster and located it next to my hat and mug.

My lower spine had still ached from falling on top of the old relic when Orc-Cooper dropped me.

Moka caught my attention when she spoke up, her words a bit bleary due to fatigue, "Um…e-excuse me…?"

I turned around, seeing that she was awake, and greeted her with a casual smile, "Well, you got back up sooner than I thought." I then gestured to the mug that was still in front of her, getting cold, "You might want to have some of that. It'll help wake you up a little, not to mention might ease any aches you might be having."

Pink-Top still looked perplexed as she glanced down at her mug once more, then back up at me. "Where…am I…?" She asked softly, her brain was still booting up.

I knew that this was going to be the hard part, seeing as how I wasn't sure how this Moka would react. It seemed she hadn't remembered anything of what had happened during the throw down with Saizou yet. Probably a side effect of the rosario's power. If that was the case, then I might have to explain the situation to her. No point in lying. If I did, whose to say her full memory wouldn't come back later?

I pursed my lips before answering, "You're in my refuge."

"Your…refuge…?" she repeated

"Pretty much."

Now, before you readers get all bent out of shape and shit on me for taking an unconscious teenage girl into a stranger's hideout, take a moment to put yourself in my shabby boots and realize the circumstances. When Moka decided to take a nap on me, there was no way I could take her to her dorms. I wanted to, believe me, I REALLY did. But I had no idea what room she was staying in, and neither did I want to run the risk of getting spotted. Not to mention I couldn't just leave her in the middle of the forest, not with the potential hazard of that orc, or something else, taking advantage of her. In this state she was obviously frail, well, in certain aspects she was. Regardless, as long as she had that rosario on, her strength was crippled significantly.

But, I can't pretend that I brought her here purely for concern of her safety. No. I had made the dumb mistake of involving a civilian in my business too much to leave her be. Now I had to somehow convince this girl to not divulge my presence to the school. Her other half seemed content, but again, what of _this_ Moka? I needed to gain Nice-Moka's trust as well in order to keep my head on my shoulders.

Meanwhile, back to the conversation, Moka continued her questions. "What do you mean this is your refuge…?"

I stopped to take another sip of my tea before explaining, "Look, I understand you might be feeling a little confused, but I'm going to tell you a few things that might freak you out. So-"

"Freak out…?" Moka interrupted, "Why would I…Wait…" Her eyes widened as her memories gradually returned. "I…remember you! You're the guy that fought Saizou."

I shrugged, "Thought you might need the help, seeing as how he was being a dick to you."

"But…But you didn't fight him like a monster…you used, some kind of magic."

"Ah, you mean these." I pulled up my right sleeve to show my glove to her. The fingers were snipped off to allow better opposability. The fabric itself has a thin, yet firm, black leather material, flexible yet durable. Metal plates were stitched onto the knuckles to provide sturdy padding. Also, both gloves had a metallic symbol sewed onto the leather. The symbol is of Celtic origin, but I'll explain more of that later.

Moka studied the details thoroughly from where she sat, after a moment or two it helped jog her memory.

"Wait, those look enchanted…Why would you use something like that if you're a monster?"

She then points at Tonitrum, "And that…that looks like something a monster wouldn't use either…"

She almost laughed, "If I didn't know better I would think you're a Hunter…" Then, not too long after that conclusion, it suddenly clicked.

"AAAAHHHHH!" She screamed so loud, I thought my mugs would shatter along with my eardrums.

Before I could try to calm her down she instantly threw the trey table at me like it was a soft ball. The damn thing just barely missed my face as I ducked down. Hot tea splattered everywhere on the floor after the table-my only table at the time-shattered on impact at the wall behind my desk.

"JESUS CHRIST!" I shouted, "RELAX!"

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Moka screamed some more, frantically trying to keep herself as far away from me as the room could allow. She was standing behind the blocky chest as if it was her sworn protector.

I gave out an exasperated sigh, "Look! Try to remember. You know, when I SAVED you? If I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it by now!"

Moka, still fidgeting behind the chest she responded in a shaky voice, "Oh, S-so, kidnapping me doesn't mean anything either?!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I mumbled to myself, "I didn't kidnap you! Well… Okay, I kinda did-BUT, it was for your own safety! Would you rather I have just left you there to let god knows what else snatch you up?"

"I-I would've rather taken my chances out there than here with you!" She wasn't budging at all from that damn trunk.

I sighed once more, "Clearly you DON'T remember everything, as I thought. Typical. So let me remind you that it was YOU that decided to trust me!"

Her head suddenly perked up from behind the chest, looking confused initially, "I did what…?", I was relieved, I thought she would try to throw the trunk at me next.

Once I had her more attentive, I explained what happened half way through the fight. I mentioned about how the rosario came off, her transformation, how she performed dental work on Saizou's teeth, and then the brief conversation I had with her silver-haired self just after.

Moka was shocked by this revelation, "I…I can't believe it. You…removed my rosario? How?"

I shrugged once more, "I don't know _how_. I just did it. Good thing it did manage to come off. I bet that orc is still out like a light. But that isn't our main concern now. Right now I need to know if I can have your trust, just as I seem to have it with this other Moka."

Moka, less timid now, emerged from her cover but still remained at a distance from me, "And…why would you need my trust? Why is someone like you even here?"

I turned back to my seat before replying and took a sip of my-now only-mug, allowing the sweet herbal tea sooth my throat, "I didn't come here on purpose. I was tricked into coming here."

"You were tricked? So…that means you aren't here to kill anyone?"

"Okay, you starting to make me sound like some psycho. I'm not like the Hunters from the old tales, alright?" I may have seemed a bit too stern on that last remark, but I didn't like being painted as some soulless killer. Even though this is the kind of job that would give me such the reputation, I wanted to be clear with this girl that I didn't mean any trouble to her. Sincerely.

She didn't seem fully convinced as she replied, "Then what kind of hunter are you then?"

"I'm a BOUNTY hunter. I may be a human, but I don't consider all monsters…well, monsters. I only go after criminals."

"Wait…so, then that means you were tricked into coming here because you were looking for a criminal?"

I smirked, "Hey, look at that, you are as smart as the other Moka." My meager sarcasm left a frown on Moka's innocent face. Though it was nowhere as intimidating as Bad-Moka's.

Before she could retort I confirmed her deduction, "But yes. You are right. I was looking for a guy named Katsuo Hiroko. You've heard of the name by chance?"

Moka shook her head, "Sorry, I don't believe so. I remember you asking the same name to Saizou. Do you think you could still find him in this place even though you were tricked into coming here?"

"Well, that's the thing. I came here on a bus, driven by some shady guy. Glowing white eyes and has a thing for cigars."

"Oh! You mean Bus Driver-san?"

"You know the guy?"

"Well of course!" She said it as if that was common knowledge, "He's the one that helps students get to Yokai academy. I didn't need to because I had my bike."

I snorted, remembering how well she handled that choice of transportation. She noticed my snicker and gave me a sharp glare.

I quickly resumed the conversation as I asked, "Wait, come to think of it, how did you get here on just a bike? Is there some kind of portal that leads into this dimension?"

"Dimension?" she looked perplexed by that word, "I don't know if that would be the right term to describe the academy's location."

"You're saying that we're still in Japan?"

"Sort of. The academy's property is surrounded by a giant magical barrier that keeps us hidden from the outside world. No humans or monsters can get in without proper clearance." She suddenly covered her mouth, realizing that she may have said too much.

"Its alright, I'm not gonna tell this to anyone else, assuming if I'll even make it out of this place alive." I assured her with a nonchalant wave of my hand.

Moka still had suspicions of me; it was easy to read in her eyes.

I pressed the middle of my brow with my index and middle finger as I lowered my head for a moment, then looked back up and said, "Alright…What can I do to prove you can trust me?"

She crossed her arms nervously, but she managed to retain a somewhat stern demeanor, as if she were trying to imitate her bipolar personality, "You can…start by getting me out of this place you call a refuge. I couldn't help but notice that there aren't any doors, or even windows for that matter. It feels more like a prison than a safe haven."

Her observation skills seemed as sharp as her fangs. I chugged down the rest of my tea with three large gulps, grabbed my hat, and got out of my chair. My initial movement caused her to take a step away from me, but I showed my cooperation as I said to her, "Fine. If you want to leave, I'll help you. See that thing above us, the only thing that's giving us light?" I pointed directly up with my index finger. As she heeded my suggestion, she saw a massive bulb that emitted an amber yellow glow. It resembled the shape of a giant uvula-three times the size of a basket ball-that dangled from the center point of the narrowly acute ceiling.

Moka stared at the strange orb, her anxiety slowly rising back up, "That's not some kind of torture device, is it?"

I rolled my eyes, "Don't insult me. I have my morals too. Just stand under it and stay perfectly still."

She was hesitant, but she complied and followed my instructions. When she had walked to the center of the room, I did the same, stopping when I was right in front of her, which made her very uncomfortable. After assuring her that this was part of the process, leaving out the mention that I didn't want to give her the chance to escape, I looked up at the ball of light above us and said the following phrase, "Egressus." After an instantaneous beam of golden light enveloping us, and Moka cracking a startled high pitched yelp, we were back in the dead forest, standing next to one of the many generic withered trees.

Naturally Moka was confused on just how this transitioned, "Wh-What just happened…?"

"That was the door you requested." I replied with a hint of an impish smirk. I then clarified by pointing to the tree near us where she spotted a small translucent stone, of the same amber color as the glowing bulb, embedded in the gray bark at the base of the trunk. At a closer glance there were Latin runes etched into the gleaming rock, still glowing of mana residue.

"A…stone?" She said, looking at the rock with disbelief.

"You mean to tell me you've never heard of an arcane stone?" I retorted

She glanced back at me and looked at me as if I just spoke in another language. For a moment I thought the perception was lagging.

But no, she really had no idea what an arcane stone was. What kind of a monster doesn't know what an arcane stone is?

Regardless, I explained it to her anyways, "They're mystical talismans that can serve as storage devices. Sort of a portable mobile home you can carry in your pocket."

"But, why did it look like the inside of a tree?"

"The space is created depending on what material the stone is in contact with. To be honest I wasn't so sure it would work here, at first, since I thought it was all artificial. But now that you say this place is possibly real…"

"Wait, stop for a moment." She interjects, "How did a Hunter-a HUMAN Hunter-get his hands on something like that?"

And if you readers are wondering the same thing, I'll tell you the same thing I told her.

I shrugged, "When you've been in this business as long as I have, you find yourself with whole bunch of crap. Half of them can be useless but every once in a while you find a gem like this one…no pun intended."

Granted that may have been vague but I wasn't going to spew my whole life story on her; I would have to write another journal for that, not that there would be another one…

After hearing my answers, Moka took a deep breath and sighed as her tone seemed languished. She wrapped her arms around herself in grief. I thought she was about to sob, but instead she leaned back up against the tree and muttered, "This is too much…I just wanted to go to this academy and have a normal high school life…" this coming from a vampire, "I thought…I thought I wouldn't have to worry about humans any more when I came here…!" Her tone was shaky, but the anger was unquestionably there, "All the way up to middle school I had to endure the constant abuse! How they talked about monsters like me didn't exist, leaving me feeling isolated and alone…I hate them, I hate them so much fo-"

"Wait a minute." I stopped her in the middle of her pity-party-rant, "You mean to tell me that that's your reason for hating humans like me? Because they didn't believe monsters existed? You do realize that human schools are supposed to be ignorant of monsters, right?"

Moka stuttered, "W-Well…there was more than that. They bullied me for my hair, th-they would take advantage of my kindness, a-and-"

"Moka. That's LIFE in general. You think you are the only one that gets bullied or teased? Human kids get picked on too for the same reasons. EVERYBODY goes through that kind of bullshit! Oh, and lets not forget the fact that a student at THIS school just tried to KILL you!" I couldn't help but feel angry right back at her; Ive heard better reasons to hate humans from homeless drunkards. I was expecting her to mention a reference from one of the old tales, something like "My father was killed by a hunter" or something cliché like that. But no, her excuse was the same as almost every single kid, human or monster, her age.

Moka looked affronted and tried to defend her case, "You don't understand! I didn't have any friends when I was in a human school. How could I when I truly couldn't be myself?"

During a moment of silence, we traded long intense stares. I was feeling both frustrated and confounded by this girl, and I'm sure she was having the same mutual perspective. She glared at me fiercely, but not in a way that suggested she wanted to kill me. No. This was the kind of expression a lot of normal teenage girls would have in any kind of argument; a seemingly firm front, but on the verge of shedding tears.

I just had to keep reminding myself that. That she isn't a monster, but a living being with emotions and feelings as any other person. Call it sappy if you must, but I didn't see the point in lecturing her like some pompous jerk.

As if I was really the one to talk about ethics and morals.

After a soft sigh to ease my tension, I walked over and pressed my back against the tree as well, standing next to her with calm demeanor as I put my hands in my pockets.

"So that's your real reason then?" I said with a mild, but sympathetic tone,"You don't _hate _humans, you were just afraid of what they might think of you if they found out, right?"

Moka's eyes shimmered as her anger began to quell. After glancing at me, she then hung her head toward the ground as she stared at her feet. With a small nod, she then slid down until she was sitting on the roots, hugging her shins as she buried her face in her knees.

"Alright…I suppose I can understand that." I replied as I followed her and sat down with her as well. "I'm sure it mustve been hard, not to mention stressful, to pretend something you aren't. Other wise you could expect serious consequences…" I glanced at Moka, her face still covered, "But I don't see why you got to take it out on me. I mean, it's like you said before, if I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it the moment I first met you. I even helped you out with Saizou when I could've just walked away instead."

She then lifted her head up and glanced back at me, "I-I said that…?"

"Well, the _you_ with the white mane and red eyes said that. That's not the point though."

She then looked confused for a moment, but then she finally recalled the moment when I had accidentally removed the rosario. But before she inquired how that happened, she asked a much more important question, a similar question that I had asked her not too long ago, "Why didn't you walk away? Why bother to care about someone like me…?"

"Good question." I replied.

She seemed more perplexed.

"I just increased my chances of getting discovered while still being trapped in a world that I didn't even mean to go. I could've left you at that Orc's mercy; I SHOULD'VE left you there for my own sake. But I didnt, and you know what, for some stupid reason, I don't regret it. I guess I did it because I'm just an idiot…"

Not the best answer in the world, probably not the most inspiring one either. But that was really all I could say. I didn't want to get any more in depth in my reasons than that anyways.

Now that we had established both our reasons to not kill each other at this point, I then said with a pat of my knees, "Well, I hope that satisfies you." I picked myself back up, adjusted my jacket and then turned to the vampire again and added, "If you like, I can help you get back to your dorm?" I offered my hand to her to help her up.

There was a small twinkle in the vampire's eyes, as though her anxiety had been swept away. Slowly, she reached out with her pale, slender hand, and gently grasped mine. In that exchange, I was relieved to know that I had indeed earned her faith, or at least, for the most part, she definitely didn't seem to be afraid of me.

Not long after, I managed to lead her back to exactly where we were before. During the walk back though, she seemed very quiet and distant despite her change of attitude toward me. Then again, I'm sure she was still trying to soak all of this Hunter business in, that I can relate.

From where we were standing the dorm was just a few dozen feet away. I'm sure by this time everyone were in their respectable retirements by now.

"Well, here we are, just as I promised." I said with some minor enthusiasm, "But, just to make sure…you're going to not say anything about me being here right…?"

Moka was silent as she stared off in the distance, seeming hesitant in her eyes. She then turned to me and said, "I will…but on one condition."

I glanced away briefly to curse under my breath. Should've seen THAT coming. I then sighed as I turned back, at her, my arms crossed, and replied, "And what would that be? It better not be my blood."

Moka's cheeks reddened, "N-No…! Well, that would be nice-but, th-that's not what I want…" The vampire was starting to show her overly timid demeanor again, "I...wont tell anyone…as long as I can visit you whenever I want to."

The moment I heard her terms, the wheel in my head had stopped to a screeching halt, "…I'm sorry…you want to do WHAT?"

"W-Well, maybe not whenever I want, but, you know, w-whenever it's most…convenient?" Moka's blush thickened in as she fiddled with her index fingers shyly.

"Moka, I can't have you 'visiting' me! You would run the risk of exposing me!" I then tried to calm my tone again before disturbing the dorm. I then cleared my throat and said more gently, "Look, I would not mind it if it were any other circumstance, but whose to say someone wont follow you if you do in fact swing by every now and then?"

"No one would follow me!" She tried to defend her case.

"Oh please!" I retorted, "You had an orc follow you around today like a frisky hound. Do you really think he'll be the last?"

Moka hung her head down lightly, her eyes starting to moist as she said, "I…guess I didn't think of that before asking…its…its just that…I thought maybe you and I could be friends…since…I don't have many…"

Now that was just unfair.

I wished she hadn't reminded me of that fact about her life, mentioning how she had no friends to really rely and trust on. It sure as hell didn't seem she was having any luck here, even though it was only the first day. As I thought about it, perhaps, this was probably better. I did mention before about how much her power is crippled while she still has that rosario on. She could barely handle herself with that orc. If it weren't for my intervention, she'd most likely be dead by now. And it seemed I was one of the only people in her life that actually was willing to listen and sympathize with her. I think it was fair to assume I was the closest thing to a friend to her right now…

I then let out a deep sigh of defeat and said to Moka, "Alright…you can visit."

Moka's eyes instantly brightened as she gasped for glee, but I cut her off and said sternly, "but ONLY after school hours, when you are one hundred and TEN percent sure that NO-ONE is following you. Capiche?"

Moka's face was glowing, her eyes sparkling as her smile stretched out more and more. She looked like she was ready to burst with excitement until, without warning, she leaped at me and wrapped me in a bone crushing hug with her obnoxiously powerful arms, and here I thought the Orc's grip was unpleasant.

As she squeezed my arms and lungs around my spine, she squealed with delight, "THANKYOU! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Too…much…hugging…!" I said hoarsely, the air escaping me faster than a balloon. Fortunately I managed to survive her glomp of doom after she'd promptly realized how loud she was and calmed her tone. She then quietly apologized with a small embarrassed smile, preparing to say her goodbyes next.

"Well…does this mean I'll see you tomorrow then?"

After I had regained my breath, I replied, "Yeah, Yeah…just, don't attract any attention, okay?"

Moka nodded happily. She then turned to the dorm and was ready to dart back to her room, but then stopped as she glanced back at me and said, "I don't I ever actually got your name…?"

I was reluctant to tell her my name, saying your name in the hunter's business was like posting your own wanted poster. However, when it came to this girl, seeing the gentleness in her eyes over her innocent jade eyes, what harm could come from it.

"Its Michael." I said plainly, "Michael Crane."

"Micheal…Crane." She repeated, letting the name reverberate in her mind. She then replied, "Oh! Like the bird?"

"Yes, like Ichabo-what? NO. The Hunter from the Old Ta-"

"Or maybe the big machines that help build city towers?"

I sighed exasperatingly, "Just get back to your dorm before somebody sees us."

"Oh yeah! Right! See you tomorrow, Mikey-san!" And like that, she ran off back to her dorm, waving back at me with the biggest smile on her face.

I was then left feeling astounded, "Does she really not know who the Cranes are…?" I muttered to myself.

I mean, the Cranes weren't on the same level as Van Helsing or Karras, but regardless. All Hunters have some kind of recognition in the Monster world, its one of the reasons why I try to keep my name on the down low.

But, at the same time, I felt at ease as I watched her go back into the safety of the cclass dorms. I decided to take this as a blessing instead of trying to take this as some weird insult. How fortunate my family name wasn't as famous as I thought. In truth, though, I was far more relieved to know that my existence in this place was still hidden. Moka definitely seemed like the kind of girl I could trust, despite her strange split-personality. I figured that maybe I could relax a bit more now, and resume my task.

If only I knew what tomorrow had brought next…


End file.
